Game-Design

Game design used in the context of computer games development, the activities of the theoretical conception of the game world, rules, and characters in regards to a certain target group.

Range of tasks

Includes game design, based on the overall process of game development, all sub-tasks, which ( together with the resident characters and prevailing laws ) are required for creating the game 's vision and the game world. For this purpose, narrative and interactive elements, depending on the game combined. Depending on the target group also ethical and psychological aspects are considered and incorporated into the game planning. The assistance provided in terms of marketing aspects of the product (in this case, knowledge of the target group of central importance ) are often to the different sectors of Game Designer.

The result ( the products) of game design in the strict sense is a set of written design documents, or the game concepts. Often the theoretical game design goes here along with a complementary prototyping, ie the development of a ( technically, playful and multi-media "simple" - that should at least be the goal ) game version against which already advance can be extracted from the later gameplay a fundamental impression. With the help of prototypes, the game concept is tested and refined before its completion. Thus, ambiguities and gaps in the game concept can already make pre- identify and eliminate before the costly implementation of certain of the selling game version begins by other specialists ( programmers, artists, musicians).

Despite the theoretical nature of the concept work and the more prototypical function of a possibly unreacted pre-release version can not be completely independent of the later targeted in the final version of the technical platform game design. In particular, in terms of usability and gameplay you ask, the first might appear very "technical" and not very relevant for the game, be serious indeed in their effects. (Consider, for example, atmospheric or control-related effects when an interactive 2D instead would use a 3D world in a role play, or the economic damage when it turned out that the performance of computer hardware or network infrastructure the player playful needs simply can not operate. ) In general it can be said that game designers also other areas of game development (often can use programming or kind ) in order to understand the background and the interfaces and communication protocols. Only then can a concept be implemented in more and more lavish nascent gaming industry.

Education and qualifications

For some years there is the possibility of game design to learn formally study or apprenticeship in German-speaking countries. It should be noted that the majority of these deals the term compared to the usual in the game industry terminology more inclusive by also typical tasks of the downstream development process ( such as programming, graphic design, etc.) integrated or even persecuted focus.

Renowned game designer

Interactivity Software prototyping John D. Carmack Quake (video game) Ultima (series) Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders Donkey Kong (character) Populous (series) Phantasy Star (video game) Alexey Pajitnov Chris Roberts (game developer) Tim Schafer Day of the Tentacle Grim Fandango Anno 1701 Virtua Fighter (series) SpellForce: The Order of Dawn Time Zone (video game) Will Wright (game designer) Bob Bates Chris Crawford (game designer)
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